Vol. XIII. 



1913 



] Shufeldt, Osteology of the Red Wattle-Bird. IQ 



Pes is normally constituted osteologically, being Passerine in 

 every particular. The joints of the outer toe are delicate and 

 small, while the claw of hallux is a big one, being equal, and more, 

 in size to any two of the other claws of the foot combined. 



Conclusions. 



Judging from such material as I have at hand, and without 

 having had the opportunity to study the osteology of some 40 

 other genera of the Meliphagidce, it is clear, from what has been 

 brought out in this paper, that, in so far as the skeleton is con- 

 cerned, Anthochcera canmculata comes nearer to Prosthemadera 

 novcB-zealandia than it does to Entomyza cyanoiis, thus confirming 

 the linear arrangement for these genera of Sharpe in his " Hand- 

 list " (vol. v., p. xiv.), where he places Manorhina and Myzantha 

 between Anthochcera and Prosthemadera on the one hand and 

 Anellobia, Acanthogenys, Myza, Leptomyza, Acrulocercus, and 

 Chcetoptila between Anthoch:sra and Entomyza upon the other. 



Osteologically, Anthochcera caruncidata may be at once dis- 

 tinguished from the other two or three Meliphagidines with which 

 it has here been compared by some of the characters of its i)elvis ; 

 by the relatively much larger size of the bones composing the 

 skeleton of its tail ; by the sharp anterior ridges of the femoral 

 condyles ; and, with great certainty, by the morphology of its 

 tarso-metatarsi, together with the relative lengths of the bones 

 of the pelvic limb. 



In the plates accompanying this paper (Plates II.-IV.) are 

 presented the skeletons of other Passerine birds of Australia more 

 or less related to the Red Wattle-Bird — some remotely, others 

 nearer — which will be of marked value in the way of comparison, 

 and of assistance to the avian osteologist of the future, when the 

 study of the skeletons in other genera is taken up. 



Explanation of Plates. 



(All the figures in these plates are reproductions of photographs made direct 

 from the specimens by the author. Adult. Natural size.) 



Plate I. 



Fig. I —Skull of AnthochcEra carimculaia, seen upon right lateral aspect. 



Mandible articulated, but left ramus somewhat elevated, owing to 



the loss of its articular extremity. 



-Circlet of sclerotal plates of an eye, viewed upon their outer aspect. 

 -Hyoidean arches, with the extended pair of cartilaginous rods 



which bear at their distal ends the " brush " of the tongue. 

 -Right lateral view of the trunk skeleton, with shoulder-girdle and 



sternum removed. (See fig. 5.) 

 -Shoulder-girdle and sternum, seen upon right lateral view. Left 



scapula, clavicle, and upper border of sternum of the left side can 



be seen in part, owing to the fact that the view is not absolutely 



direct. 

 -Skeleton of the left pectoral limb. Palmar side. For the most 



part the bones are normally articulated, but the humerus subluxated. 

 -Left pelvic limb ; bones in situ, but subluxated. The patella is 



performed in bone, and the fibula is notably short. 



